What do the Walls Say?

The historical trajectory of street and public art in Russia and the former Soviet Union is both extensive and intricate. Due to the active usage of the cityscapes by the government with slogans the squares, the streets and the monuments have always borne an extra function beyond mere architectural ones. Consequently, underground art has employed the same strategy in addressing the viewer. Since Russian culture is also significantly literature-oriented, the urban landscape is permeated with various kinds of texts. While official posters have promoted governmental narratives from communist values to military might, street artists do not only criticise the offered narrative, but also reflect on individual life, condemn consumerism and expose other social and personal issues. In this article we are going to observe some examples and trace how street artists as citizens reclaim their agency by the means of language.